1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to payout methods in a mechanical, an electro-mechanical and/or computer-based slot machine-like games-of-chance and, more particularly, to a method, an apparatus, and a computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for providing awards based on “wild” symbols that expand into adjacent symbols positions—vertically, horizontally, and/or diagonally—in the symbol matrix.
2. Background Description
To play a conventional slot machine, a player deposits money in the form of coins, gaming tokens or paper currency either into a coin head or bill acceptor. The coins and gaming tokens are collected in a reservoir inside the gaming machine while the paper currency is collected in the bill acceptor inside the gaming machine. If the coins, gaming tokens or paper currency are validated as authentic, the player accrues the appropriate number of playing credits on a credit meter. For example, a twenty-five cent gaming machine will accrue four credits for each dollar deposited into the gaming machine.
After accruing credits on the credit meter, the player determines how many credits he wishes to wager on the next spin of the slot reels. After setting the wager, the player spins the reels by pressing the spin button or by pulling a handle. When the reels stop spinning, symbols are displayed on the slot reels. The player then collects credits for winning combinations, if any, according to a pay table. More specifically, the slot machine operates as follows:
Symbol Matrix. Slot symbols are displayed on 3 or more slot reels (also called “columns”) placed adjacent to each other. Each column contains at least 3 rows, with a symbol in each row. The resulting matrix of symbols typically ranges from 3 columns by 3 rows with 9 total symbols to 5 columns by 3 rows with 15 total symbols. Within the symbol matrix, positions on the slot reels may be referred to according to column, from left to right, and row, from the top to bottom (“symbol positions”). For example: symbol position 1/2 is located in column 1 (i.e., left-most column) and row 2 (i.e., middle row).
Winning Combinations. Players collect credits for predetermined winning symbol combinations that appear in specific positions (“pay lines”) on the slot reels. Winning combinations typically require that three or more of the same symbols appear adjacent to each other starting from the leftmost position of a pay line (“line pays”). For example: a player may collect a line pay if 3 Banana symbols appeared in symbol positions 1/1, 2/1, 3/1 on a pay line using symbol positions 1/1, 2/1, 3/1, 4/1, and 5/1.
Players may also collect credits for predetermined winning combinations that appear anywhere on a pay line (“line scatter pays”) or anywhere on the slot reels (“reel scatter pays”). For example, a player may collect a line scatter pay if 3 Banana symbols appeared in symbol positions 1/1, 3/1, 5/1 on a pay line using symbol positions 1/1, 2/1, 3/1, 4/1, and 5/1; and collect a reel scatter pay if 3 Banana symbols appeared anywhere on the slot reels.
Pay Table. Credits are awarded to the player for each winning symbol combination based on a predetermined schedule. For line pays and line scatter pays, the number of credits wagered on the winning pay line multiplies the number of credits indicated by the pay table. For example, a player may wager two credits each on five pay lines, spin the reels, and collect twice the amount indicated on the pay table for a line pay or line scatter pay appearing on any of the five played pay lines. For reel scatter pays, the total number of credits wagered multiplies the number of credits indicated by the pay table. For example, a player may wager ten total credits, spin the reels, and collect ten times the amount indicated on the pay table for a reel scatter pay appearing on anywhere on the slot reels.
Following any type of pay (e.g., line pays, line scatter pays, or reel scatter pays), credits won are added to the player's credit balance shown on the credit meter. As long as the player has credits on the credit meter, the player may continue to play the game. Following any spin, the player may collect the credit balance by pressing the Cash Out button.
A conventional slot machine issues awards according to the methods described above and exemplified by FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. FIG. 1, U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,053 to Crouch, entitled Multi-Line Gaming Machine, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a gaming machine 50 that has a display 51 on which an array of symbols is displayed. The array is typically 3 rows×5 columns. During a game the symbols displayed on the array are caused to change with a random result being obtained. The player of the machine makes a wager on the result and is paid a prize if one of a number of predetermined combinations of symbols are displayed on a line of the display 51 at the end of the game. The player may make multiple wagers on each game with each wager being assigned to a different one of a plurality of possible result lines. Typically, the number of possible result lines is greater than or equal to 9, and the lines to be employed in each game are selected by switches 54, prior to a game being initiated.
FIG. 2, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,053, shows a 3×5 display 51 having 12 paylines, indicated by numerals 1 to 12 on the Figure. FIG. 3, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,053, shows a 3×5 display 51 having 27 paylines, indicated by numerals 1 to 27 on the Figure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,053 also states that machines having a 3×3 or 3×4 display size.
Since conventional slot machines are limited to the foregoing methods, players, casinos and manufacturers suffer from the following disadvantages:                Players suffer from the boredom of playing “new” games with different graphics, but really use same “old” awards;        Casinos suffer from the players' dissatisfaction with the casino's game selection;        Casinos cannot distinguish their game offerings from other casinos; and        Game manufacturers suffer declining orders as they cannot distinguish their product line from the other manufacturers.        
Many methods have been tried in the past to overcome these disadvantages, including the commonly known “wild” symbol feature which uses wild-card symbols to act as some or all of the other symbols and, therefore, help form additional winning line pay or scatter pay combinations. Other wild symbol features adopted in the past have included: “subset” wild that only acts as a sub-set of symbols in the symbol set; “roaming” wild that replaces each symbol in the symbol matrix one-at-a-time; and “chasing” wild that randomly replaces symbols in the symbol matrix one-at-a-time until the wild lands on particular symbol position.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the limitations of conventional slot machines by using a novel wild symbol feature: “Directional Wilds.” Unlike previous wild symbol features, the “directional” wild symbols expand into adjacent symbols positions—vertically, horizontally, and/or diagonally—in the symbol matrix. Thus, the Directional Wild concept creates an additional method of playing a slot game which benefits all parties: the game manufacturer adds a unique product to their sales line; the casino attracts and retains players interested in playing an innovative slot game; and the player enjoys a new method of receiving an award.